Automated initiated communication response systems have become useful for helping organizations and individuals manage incoming initiated communications, e.g., phone calls, electronic communications such as packet-switched data, etc. Most commonly, these response systems enable organizations to handle large volumes of initiated communications by directing incoming initiated communications to a particular branch or individual of the organization or by allowing the initiated communication to extract information from the organization via the automated system, generally without the assistance of live support personnel.
In one known example, incoming phone calls are directed to an automated menu. Callers can select a particular division or individual, or obtain information directly, by calling a hotline phone number and selecting options from a menu played over the phone to the caller. In another example, customers may log in to a website associated with an organization, allowing the customers to enter and retrieve information from databases associated with the organization, i.e., packet-switched data transmitted over an internet connection. In each case, the response systems generally allow the customer to enter and retrieve data without requiring assistance from live support personnel at the organization. These response systems may thereby enhance customer service by allowing efficient servicing of large numbers of incoming requests for information without increasing demands on human resources of an organization.
Because live support personnel are not actively engaged with incoming initiated communications, problems may not be evident in a response system until a customer complains directly to support personnel. For example, if a particular selection in an automated telephone menu, e.g., a request for customer support, is resulting in a long wait time for the customer to be connected with live support personnel, or a particular selection is not operational, customers may become frustrated and simply hang up. Thus, by the time live support personnel are made aware of many problems with a response system, multiple customers have already likely been frustrated with the response system.
Accordingly, there is a need to detect and diagnose problems with response systems more quickly, preferably before a large number of customers experience the problem directly.